THE NEED TO KNOW We learn through necessity.
We have to know what a problem is all about before we can deal with it. I find it disturbing that so many people - at least, those who express themselves concerning national defense planning tend to play at something so serious.
One can prepare for such things only to a degree. We must know what the problem is before we can prepare to meet it which leads up to something called “common sense”.
It may not be the best method, but examine our history and see how often we have been been saved by our ability to learn quickly from experience of our own and that of others. I find critics of our defense preparations who think too often in terms which are far too narrow and do not include many segments of our population.
All is not forecast by other ahead of time. We learn things as we go along. We often often from others and in ways we don't understand at the moment. Braddock's Red Coats were well trained in battle techniques -all of the accepted, standard, right way to wage war, but they had to adapt - and quickly - to the methods used by the American Indian. Those who did not, died. Simple as that. So much for drills.
A young lady was heard praising her aged grandfather: “I am so glad,” she said,..so very glad to see that you are finally learning to put your hand over your when you sneeze!”
He looked at her and smiled.”It's the only way I know to catch my teeth!”
We prepare for emergency by being aware of what might transpire in a time of stress. We prepare for war conditions by living a calm, well-adjusted life before the war threatens. The quality of our life style determine if we will be ready or not I have had more than one Englishman tell me that during the mad nights of the Great Blitz in London in World War II, they, too, were amazed at how well people rallied in the time of need. With fifteen hundred fires burning in the city at one time, large areas had to be ignored in order to save others. Thousands of citizens rose to the occasion, above petty personal feeling, and helped others even while their section was being eaten by flames. As families of citizens, they had to learn to us Bomb Shelters hastily dug in the garden or front yard. No amount of drill in peace time would have made them ready to endure the discomfort of such sleepless nights of terror.
People here are concerned about security at our airports while the vast majority of container ships come and go without inspection in a dozen seaports. Disaster practice demonstrations have been performed in Chicago and other areas, and a city-wide evacuation _- a mass movement of millions of people - the entire population of our nation's capital is planned. If you have ever witnessed “normal” rush hours from DC into Virginia and Maryland you may question such a grandiose exhibition in several common sense ways.
To think of and actually plan for such a farcical scenario, in the name of national defense, reflects poorly on the many people truly concerned and seeking to provide methods whereby the American people may be made more secure in the face of potential attack.
About the only point of merit I see in such a plan is that we would have with us in Maryland and Virginia ample hosts of Washington reporters eager to let us know what they think was happening.
A.L.M. January 5, 2006 [c610wds]
